Life Lessons, Late

This isn't exactly something to be proud of, but unless embarrassment and shame are imminent I will not work on anything official during my leisure hours. Embarrassment and shame became imminent at choir practice last week when I realized that, with only one rehearsal left until our concert this Sunday, I was really struggling with the rhythms and text in Misa Criolla, a very cool South American mass. I came home a bit frustrated and The Swede said the perfect thing, as usual: "Mara, it's just like you always say to Jamie. It'll be fine, you just need to practice." So I sat down with the music, a nice, slow recording on YouTube, a set of headphones, and a pen and got down to business. Yesterday's rehearsal went a million times better because of it and by Sunday, with a little more practice, I should be ready to perform something I can hold my head up over.